uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park
KwaZulu-Natal · Year-round
10 places
Wildlife
Yellow Mongoose
Cynictis penicillata
The yellow mongoose (Cynictis penicillata), sometimes referred to as the red meerkat, is a member of the mongoose family averaging about 1 lb (1/2 kg) in weight and about 20 in (500 mm) in length.
Species insights
When to visit
Recorded year-round
Recorded in every month, so no month is the wrong month to look. We would rather say that than invent a best time.
Best monthsAny month
Records1,962 records
Curve from 1,962 national iNaturalist observations, not from one property. Single-month spikes are discarded as upload artefacts, and below 50 records we show no curve at all.
Where you'll find it
Eastern Cape and beyond
Provinces where Yellow Mongoose is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
1,963 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Yellow Mongoose
Stays that give back
Across South Africa
The Whale Trail (De Hoop)
De Hoop Nature Reserve
From R 6,460a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Twee Rivieren Rest Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 450a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Marataba Mountain Lodge
Marakele National Park
Price on request
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Sendelingsdrif Rest Camp
Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park
From R 311a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Mountain Zebra National Park
Mountain Zebra National Park
From R 449a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Marataba Safari Lodge
Marakele National Park
Price on request
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Mata-Mata Rest Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 450a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Grootkolk Wilderness Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 2,634a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Marataba Villa
Marakele National Park
Price on request
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Bitterpan Wilderness Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 2,634a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Motswedi Camp Site
Mokala National Park
From R 628a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Melkkamer Homestead, De Hoop
De Hoop Nature Reserve
Price on request
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Kokerboomkloof Camp Site
Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park
From R 311a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Golden Gate Hotel And Chalets
Golden Gate Highlands National Park
From R 1,741a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
De Hoop Collection
De Hoop Nature Reserve
Price on request
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Camdeboo Rest Camp
Camdeboo National Park
From R 345a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Tlopi Tented Camp
Marakele National Park
From R 1,866a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Lekkerwater
De Hoop Nature Reserve
Price on request
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Skilpad Rest Camp
Namaqua National Park
From R 953a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Mosu Lodge
Mokala National Park
From R 1,401a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Kieliekrankie Wilderness Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 2,634a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Glen Reenen Rest Camp
Golden Gate Highlands National Park
From R 339a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Nossob Rest Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 450a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Karoo Rest Camp
Karoo National Park
From R 437a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
The Karoo
Next stop
South Africa's vast inland heart: silence, stars, and wide horizons
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Yellow Mongoose
Hosts have recorded the Yellow Mongoose at stays in or beside uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and Marakele National Park.
When to go, park by park
Here all yearEasiest viewing
| Park | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| uKhahlamba-Drakensberg | Here | Here | Here | Here | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Here | Here | Here |
| Kgalagadi | Here | Here | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing |
Darker months are each park's own best season, when thinner bush or scarce water makes viewing easier. A sighting is never guaranteed.
Where to base yourself
Northern Cape
Kgalagadi · Ai-Ais/Richtersveld · Mokala
Northern CapeSelf-driveStays in Northern CapeKwaZulu-Natal
uKhahlamba-Drakensberg · Giants Castle · Kamberg
KwaZulu-NatalSelf-driveStays in KwaZulu-NatalLimpopo
Marakele
LimpopoBig FiveSelf-driveStays in LimpopoWestern Cape
De Hoop · Karoo
Western CapeSelf-driveMalaria-freeStays in Western Cape
Ways to look
Drive yourself
Your own vehicle and pace, on the park's roads.
Where hosts record it
IUCN Red List
Least Concern
Species
Cynictis penicillata
Records
1,963
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Yellow Mongoose on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Yellow Mongoose in South Africa?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Yellow Mongoose at stays in or beside uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Marakele National Park, De Hoop Nature Reserve, Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park and Golden Gate Highlands National Park and other reserves. A record means a host has seen it on the property or nearby, which makes these the places to base yourself; it is never a guarantee of a sighting on any given day.
Where can you see the Yellow Mongoose in South Africa?
The Yellow Mongoose is most recorded in Eastern Cape (28% of records), Northern Cape (22% of records), Gauteng (19% of records), based on 1,963 iNaturalist observations. 43 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Yellow Mongoose on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Yellow Mongoose?
The Yellow Mongoose is recorded throughout the year, so no month is the wrong month to look for it. For the parks where hosts record it most, these are the best seasons they give. uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park: year-round, dry season May-Sep; Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park: Aug-Oct, flowers, Mar-May; Marakele National Park: May-Sep, dry season; De Hoop Nature Reserve: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the conservation status of the Yellow Mongoose?
The Yellow Mongoose (Cynictis penicillata) is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
What is the Yellow Mongoose?
The yellow mongoose (Cynictis penicillata), sometimes referred to as the red meerkat, is a member of the mongoose family averaging about 1 lb (1/2 kg) in weight and about 20 in (500 mm) in length. It lives in open country, from semi-desert scrubland to grasslands in Angola, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.